Saint Lucia - Saint Lucia

Saint Lucia lies in the Caribbean. English becomes the island Sent Luscha pronounced, locals say too Is Lussia.

Regions

The island of Saint Lucia is divided into eleven so-called quarters. Starting at the northern tip, these are the parts of the country Gros Islet, Dauphin, Dennery, Praslin, Micoud, Vieux Fort, Laborie, Choiseul, Soufriere, Anse-La-Raye and Castries in a clockwise direction.

In terms of economic structure, there are only four regions. The central, mountainous, partly densely forested and undeveloped island center; the northern half of the east coast, almost deserted and only accessible on unpaved roads; the southern half of the island, sparsely populated despite the international airport, with small farms, fishing villages and the island's landmark, the two mountain cones of the Pitons; as well as the northern half of the west coast with the capital Castries and a booming tourism industry.

Cities

• Anse-La-Raye
• Cap Estate
• Castries - Capital
• Choc
• Gros Islet
• Laborie
• Marigot
• Marisule Estate
• Micoud
• Soufrière - Former capital in the shadow of the Pitons
• Vieux Fort

Canaries

Canaries is located on the west coast between Anse-La-Raye and Soufriere. The hinterland of Canaries is very hilly and densely forested, so there are a few small waterfalls in the narrow bed of the Canaries River. The first French settled at the estuary around 1725. It was not until 1876 that a Catholic school was established in this remote location. A separate church was not built until 1903, until then the believers took the boat to the church in Anse la Raye on Sunday. In 1929 the Presbyterian Congregation built a second school. It was not until 1959 that the place was connected to the road from Castries to Soufriere. A year later a stone church was built for the now faster growing congregation, and the old wooden building was used as a meeting room for the congregation's meeting.

To the north of the village is the “Bay of Pigs”, the Anse Cochon, where diving is good. The easiest way to get there is by boat from Anse La Raye. It is also accessible from the Ti Kaye Hotel via a bad road.

Choiseul

Until 1763 this small place on the southwest coast was called Anse Citron. After the peace treaty of Paris from the same year, the place was renamed after the then French foreign minister, the Comte de Choiseul, during the French Revolution it was called Le Tricolore, In 1796 it got its current name back. During the severe hurricane of 1780 the whole place was destroyed. In 1789 a new stone church was completed. In 1866 the place got a school through the Lady Mico Trust, in 1879 two Catholic schools were added. In the south there is now a 12 hectare tree nursery for tropical trees, palms and bushes, most of which is exported to England. In the district of La Fargue, a center for handicrafts was built, in which wickerwork, ceramics and carvings are made. You also get all sorts of spices and everything you can make from bananas, something unusual and unusual in taste is banana ketchup. There is also a bar for visitors with cool drinks. At La Pointe there was an aboriginal settlement.

Dennery

Originally this place was called in the middle of the east coast Anse Canot. Later he was named after the Count d`Ennery renamed. He was Governor General of the French Windward Islands between 1766 and 1770. During the French Revolution the place was called Le Republicain. In 1755 there were 61 plantations in the vicinity, sugar, cotton, tobacco and spices were grown. In 1850 around 1,000 people lived there, in 1900 it was around 3,000, and today the whole district has 12,850 inhabitants. Until 1961 mainly sugar cane was planted, the place had its own sugar mill and rum distillery. In the following years the sugar cane fields disappeared and bananas were harvested instead. In 1975 rum production was stopped. In the same year, 3,824 tons of bananas were harvested, compared to 4,024 tons in 1990. The location on the rough east coast influences the life of the inhabitants. In 1831 a fishing boat was lost, in 1898 high waves destroyed the first houses on the bank, and in 1960 people were evacuated there because of the high water level. In 1980 hurricane Allen caused severe damage.

Other goals

Pigeon Island, now a peninsula after being joined to the rest of the island a few decades ago. There you can visit old ruins of Fort Rodney, there is a small museum about the history of the country (unfortunately not air-conditioned and very warm) and some beautiful beaches.

background

Saint Lucia is one of the "islands above the wind", it has an elongated-oval shape, the north-south extension is just over 44 km, the greatest width is 22 km. Many landscape features testify to the volcanic origin of the island. The Castries harbor basin is a collapsed volcanic funnel. This is also of volcanic origin Pitons Management Area in the southwest of the island, it was designated by UNESCO in 2004 World natural heritage explained. The core area are the two former volcanic cones of the 786 m high Gros Piton and the only slightly smaller one with a height of 739m Petit piton. Located in the immediate vicinity Sulfur Springs, happy to be the only one Drive in-Volcano, the geothermal field with its hot springs and sulfur fumaroles was developed for tourists with a road. In the southern center of the island there is a very large, practically undeveloped landscape protection area, where Mount Gimie is the highest elevation at 950 m. Only one third of the land, heavily furrowed by rivers, is used for agriculture. During the colonial era, sugar cane was the main crop, today it is bananas, coconuts and cocoa.

International flights are handled at Hewanorra International Airport in the south of the island, while intra-Caribbean air traffic is carried out at George F. L. Charles Airfield near Castries.

The island served as a film set for several movies. In Marigot Bay, “Dr. Doolittle "and 1979" Firepower "filmed. In 1984 Soufriere was the location for the film "Water" with Michael Caine and in Anse Chastanet, Christopher Reeves shot the film "Superman II".

In the period after 2003, a huge building boom began in the tourism sector. The expansion of the main road in the southwest between Anse-La-Raye and Vieux Fort is gratifying. The most beautiful bays, such as Marigot Bay, have been built. Some hotels changed their names while they were being built or when they were completed. In 2006, affected citizens listed around 30 large construction projects that are either being planned or already under construction.

history

The indigenous people were peaceful Kalinago Indians from the Ciboney tribe, who, based on archaeological finds, probably reached the island from South America around 400 AD. They called the island Joannalao, written in history books Iouanala, which became over the centuries Hewanorra, Land of the iguanas. Around 800 AD they were expelled by the Carib Indians.

Around 1000 AD, the Vikings are said to have penetrated this far from Europe.

In modern history it was initially assumed that Columbus discovered the island on December 13, 1502. According to today's knowledge, this must be wrong. It is possible that one of the ships from the Columbus fleet is under the leadership of Hojeda Discovered the island in 1499 or 1504 while Columbus was in the waters of Martinique navigated, but even this is not clearly proven. Sailed with Hojeda Juan de la Cosa, in 1500 he drew a map; at the place of today's St. Lucia he drew an island with a name El Falcon a. Appears for the first time Santa Lucia on a royal Spanish map from 1511.

Around 1550, Pigeon Point was the French pirate's hiding place Francois de Clercwho was better known in his circles as Holzbein - Jambe de Bois. 50 years later, the Dutch built a fortification in the south of the island near Vieux Fort. The first attempt at permanent settlement failed in 1605, when 67 British settlers with their ship "Olive Branch" on their way to Guyana were driven to St. Lucia in a storm. The Carib Indians gave them some huts near Vieux Fort, but after five weeks only 19 of them were still alive, they fled in an Indian boat. In 1639 another attempt at settlement by almost 400 colonists under the leadership of failed Thomas Warner of the Carib's lust for battle.

As early as 1635 France laid claim to the island Sainte Lucie and the king gave land rights to deserving subjects. In 1651 he left the island to the "Compagnie des Iles d'Amerique". Of Martinique the bloody conquest began. The French fought the Indians, the Indians killed the French. 1654 became the French governor de la Riviere killed by the Caribs. After the Indians had been defeated, 150 years followed in which the island kept changing hands, sometimes it was the French, then again the British; Both nations built and expanded the fortifications after each change of ownership. In 1664 Sir Thomas Warner tried a second time from Barbados from occupying the island.

In 1746 the French founded the first larger settlement, Soufriere. There was also the seat of the first island government. In the following 40 years the French founded 12 more towns, Vieux Fort became the island's capital. On June 23, 1763, on a plantation in the north of the island in Paix Bouche born a girl Josephine, she later became the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte and Queen of France.

The first sugar cane plantations were established in 1763. The first sugar mill was built in Vieux Fort in 1765, and a second in Praslin in 1767. In 1774 the sugar plantations on all French colonies were attacked by an ant plague. Individual plantations were ruined and their owners left the island for Trinidad.

In 1775, 851 white people, 233 free colored people and 6,381 slaves lived on St. Lucia, there were 802 plantations.

By 1780 the French had built twelve larger towns with the help of their slaves, in the immediate vicinity of which the sugar plantations were also located. In the same year a severe cyclone swept the island. The American War of Independence raged between 1775 and 1783, the effects of which were felt up to this point. In 1778 the French declared war on England. The English, for their part, attacked the French St. Lucia in December of the same year. The French were defeated at Cul-de-Sac. In 1779 the two English naval units united under Admiral Samuel Barrington and Vice Admiral Sir John Byron in Gros Islet Bay to a fleet of 23 warships and 10 frigates. Gathered in January 1781 Admiral George Rodney of Barbados Coming a fleet of 36 warships in the protection of the island of Pigeon Island off Gros Ilet. From here he sailed to St. Eustatius and took the island without a fight. Pigeon Island was also an ideal vantage point to see the French fleet from here Martinique to observe. On April 12, 1782, the historic sea battle between the islands of Les Saintes and Dominica "Battle of the Saintes“In which the French fleet led by Admiral Comte de Grasse was crushed by Admiral Rodney.

In 1790, 2,170 white people, 1,636 free colored people and around 18,200 slaves lived on St. Lucia.

1794 occupied the British troops Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Lucia. All slaves on French plantations were declared free. 450 soldiers of the French Battalion des Antilles, led by Gaspard Goyrand, attacked Soufriere in April 1795 and Vigie and Gros Islet in June. The English withdrew from the island and recaptured it with 35,000 men in April of the following year.

In 1803, 1,200 white people, 1,800 free colored people and 14,000 slaves lived on St. Lucia.

In 1808 the island became a crown colony, and in 1814 it was finally handed over to the British crown in the Peace of Paris. In 1838 the island became part of the Windward Islands government. In the same year the population saw the abolition of slavery. A yellow fever epidemic spread on the island, which in 1842 also affected the British soldiers stationed on the island. In 1844 the 33rd regiment consisted of only 35 men. In 1861 the garrison was completely disbanded. In 1871 the island became part of the Windward Islands Association.

Indian contract workers / immigrants

The complete abolition of slavery by England in 1838 put the plantation owners in the Caribbean in great distress. There was now a lack of cheap farm workers for their plantations. That is why thousands of field workers with bad contracts were lured from the Far East to the Caribbean islands between 1845 and 1917. Most of them came from the English crown colony of India via Calcutta, and their descendants are still condescendingly referred to as "coolies" on all islands.

The first group of these workers came between 1856 and 1865, a little over 1,600 people. The second, larger group of 4,427 came in the years 1878 to 1893. Their employment contracts were not identical, but they were basically similar. They all pledged to work on a plantation for five years, for which they received very little wages, accommodation, clothing, food and medical care. At the end of this time they could choose to stay on the island as free people, then they would receive four hectares of land as property or £ 10 in money. If they didn't want to, they had to work on the plantation for another five or ten years to get a free ship passage back to their homeland. In 1895 there were still 721 Indian contract workers on Saint Lucia, two years later the last employment contract had expired, the island then had a free, East Indian population of 2,560 people. The records indicate that around half of the recruited labor went back to India. Many others might have liked to go back, but the government ran out of funds to pay for the return journeys.

The Indians on this island originally came from the provinces of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in northern India. They belonged to a poorly respected caste of farm laborers and small farmers. In their homeland, they often owned a small piece of land and cattle. Their decision to go to the Caribbean was based on the belief that they would find some wealth there so that they could lead a better life with their families after their return.

Villages with a predominantly Indian population emerged mainly near the sugar factories of Cul-De-Sac, Dennery, Roseau and Vieux Fort as well as near the Balenbouche plantation. They were Anse la Raye, Augier, Balca, Belle Vue, Cacao, Forestiere, Marc and Pierrot. The plantation owners preferred to work with Indian contract workers than with free colored people. The Indians were more reliable workers.

Cross-racial relationships were few and far between, and only between men of color and Indian women. Cross-racial marriages were completely uncommon until the early 1950s. Only in the last few decades has this changed more and Saint Lucia has also become a melting pot of races.

The way to modernity

In 1885 it became the seat of the Windward Islands government Grenada relocated. In 1905 St. Lucia lost its position as a British naval base. Working conditions deteriorated and there were repeated strikes. When plantation workers also took part in 1907, the uprisings had to be put down by the colonial administration. As a late episode, the toured Wood Commission 1922 the Windward and Leeward Islands. The population was given more political say. Legislative elections were held for the first time in 1925.

In 1929 the first plane landed on the island. The first unions were formed after 1930. In 1937 workers went on strike on the sugar plantations of Roseau and Cul-De-Sac. 1938 sent the English government Lord Moyne to St. Luciato conduct a survey on working conditions, the commission went down in the history books under his name. As a result of his Caribbean tour, he recommended that the mother country give the colonies more self-determination.

During the Second World War, the USA expanded the George F. L. Charles airfield, at Vieux Fort the Beate Airfield, today Hewanorra Airport, was rebuilt for military aircraft.

In 1951 all citizens over the age of 21 were given the right to vote. 1958 joined St. Lucia the West Indian Federation, which collapsed in 1962. In 1960 the country got an interim constitution until self-government in 1967.

In 1970 a worker on one of the large banana plantations earned between 2.40 and 3.20 EC dollars per day. In 1974 plantation workers went on strikes and a union was formed because of the low wages.

In 1979 the last colonial ties were broken when the country was given independence. The first elections after independence were won by the St. Lucia Labor Party, but the party split as early as 1982. In the next election, John Compton could lead the government. He tried to make the country less dependent on banana exports through tourism.

In 1989 the first construction phase of the Windjammer Landing Resort began. In addition to the Royal St. Lucian, three other hotels were planned at Gros Islet and one at Soufriere. Hewanorra Airport received a new terminal building. In 1990 the runway was renewed there. In the same year a power station was completed at Cul-de-Sac that can supply the whole island with electricity. At the same location, Amerada Hess built an intermediate oil storage facility with a capacity of 7.9 million liters on 283 hectares. That is where crude oil is made from Saudi Arabia Delivered in large tankers, only to be taken to the Hess refinery in SAINT CROIX in smaller ships.

In 1992 the writer and playwright received Derek Walcott the Nobel Prize in Literature.

carnival

Since 1760 is on St. Lucia Carnival is celebrated in the months of February / March. During the French colonial era, the festival "Fête Champêtre“After the sugar cane harvest. During the English colonial period the same festival was called "cane burning“While the slaves danced to drum music. After a few years, plantation owners mingled with the celebrants. They thought they would attract less attention when they dressed in rags and dyed their faces black. However, this only resulted in the slaves putting on fine clothes and painting their faces white. A real organization has only existed since the end of World War II. The island's Red Cross organized a street parade and costumes were awarded, and carnival days have been public holidays since 1948. In 1954 different musical trains competed against each other to choose the best one. In 1955, rival festival committees appeared with their own carnival queens, in 1967 new events were added, the king and queen were elected, and music bands performed in the stadium. Since 1970 there has been a Carnival Development Committee in which all groups were united until 1973. Since then, steel bands and calypso shows have been included in the carnival.

Flora and fauna

1,158 different plant species are known on the island. Tropical rainforest originally covered almost the entire island, of which only 11% are preserved today.

The St. Lucia parrot, Amazona versicolor, is an endangered species and the island's national bird. It has a green body, blue feathered head, red chest and yellow tail feathers. With a lot of luck you can see him in the landscape protection area. Due to protective measures, its population has grown from around 100 animals at the end of the 1970s to around 300 animals again today. The St. Lucia black finch, Melanospiza richardsoni, as well as the St. Lucia oriole, Icterus laudablis, only exist on this island.

A total of 42 different bird species have been counted on the island that also breed there.

The giant lizards, which gave the island its Indian name, are rarely seen today.

There are an unknown number in the impassable national park in the center of the island poisonous lance viper, fer-de-lance and non-toxic Boa constrictors. There you can also find the agouti, Dasyprocta, a rabbit-sized animal that used to be common on many Caribbean islands and was heavily hunted.

The tortoise, Geochelone carbonaria, grows up to 60 cm, but is very rarely found. The secluded beach of Grand Anse Bay is used by the leather-backed turtles as an egg-laying place. The adjacent Grand Anse Estate is considered to be one of the most biodiverse areas on the island.

In the landscape protection area you can also find the forest turtle, Testudo denticulata, which can also be found in the coastal regions and was already considered extinct, as well as a tree frog.

Maria Island is a nature reserve. Only there live the last specimens of the kouwes, a racing snake and the zandoli, a species of lizard with a blue, bobbing tail.

Plantation economy

On the island St. Lucia the cultivation of sugar cane started relatively late because the land was very hilly and there were hardly any large flat areas for sugar cane fields. Until the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the plantations on the island were simply named after the names of their owners, only afterwards did the French landowners in particular look for artificial names for their property for safety reasons. In 1765 two French started planting sugar cane near Vieux Fort, and by 1780 around 50 plantations had been created. During the severe hurricane of 1780 almost all fields were destroyed, 20,000 people were killed. When England abolished slavery in 1834, around 13,350 Africans became free people on the island. England paid the white plantation owners £ 335,627 for the loss of manpower. About 4,400 Indian contract workers came to replace the slaves between 1858 and 1883. In 1925 a subsidiary of the United Fruit Company of Boston, the Swift Banana Company, bought farmland St. Lucia and planted the first banana fields.

In 1948 the British company Foley & Brand made an offer to buy up all the bananas on the Windward Islands for 15 years. In 1951 the St. Lucia Banana Growers Association (SLBGA) was founded.

In 1961, the Geest Line acquired large tracts of land in the valley of the Cul-de-Sac and Roseau rivers. The fallow sugar cane fields became banana plantations.

The Windward Islands Banana Growers Association (WINBAN) and the associated sales agency Windward Islands Banana Development & Exporting Company (WIBDECo), Manoel Street, Castries, Tel. 452-2411, Fax 453-1638, was created. In 1980, almost all banana plantations were destroyed by Hurricane Allen.

• Anse Chastanet Estate, just north of the town of Soufriere. This 240 hectare plantation was founded in the 18th century by the French noble Chastanet family from the Bordeaux region. In 1968 a group of Canadians built a hotel there. At that time there was no road and all the building materials came to the construction site by canoe. In 1974 the complex was sold to the architect Troubetzkoy, who still manages it today. In 1985 and 1990 the hotel was expanded. In 1984 the adjacent 290 hectare plantation Anse Mamin was purchased. This is one of the oldest plantations on the island, originally owned by Baron Marie Antoine Y`Volley. The remains of the sugar mill, a large water wheel, the viaduct and the water tank with a volume of 6 million liters have been preserved to this day. From 1859 to 1984 the plantation belonged to the DuBoulay family.
• Balenbouche Estate lies in the area of ​​the Choiseul district in the southwest. The former sugar cane plantation was acquired by a couple of Danish descent in 1964 and consistently focuses on eco-tourism. In addition to the farmhouse, huts were built as accommodation for tourists, and the old farm buildings serve as an open-air museum. There is a restaurant on Balenbouche and guided tours are offered. Therefore, the plantation is also interesting for day visitors. Further information on the homepage www.balenbouche.com.
• Cap Estate, this plantation, one of the first on the island, is 600 hectares in size. It was owned by Baron de Longueville, who came to the island in 1744 as a civil commander. Since the plantation is very remote and the road connections are poor, the agricultural operation was discontinued. One of the first hotels on the island and a golf course were built. The mansion became a restaurant and the Derek Walcott Theater is located there. Another part of the plantation was divided into plots where you can find large villas today. Further construction projects are still taking place there today.
• Dennery Estate. For three generations the Barnard family burned rum in the Dennery Factory on the Fond-D'Or River. When the economic conditions on the island changed and more and more bananas were grown instead of sugar cane, it became difficult to obtain enough raw material. They were forced to collaborate with the British Geest group in the production of rum. The distilleries were moved across the island to the sugar factory on the Roseau River south of Marigot.
• Errard Plantation, Cocoa plantation, west of Dennery. The owner himself gives a tour of the plantation and explains the cocoa processing. Nearby is the Sault waterfall, right next to the road.
• Fond Doux Estate, south of Soufriere between the two Pitons, Tel. 459-7545. This 250 year old plantation is still being worked on today and is open to the public. There is a boutique and a restaurant there. Opening times: daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided tours of the garden start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. In addition, a full-day garden and country tour with a picnic starts at 10 a.m.
• La Cauzette Estate, Morne Paix Bouche. The remains of this plantation are in the northeast of the island. The land is no longer processed. It is only of historical importance because Marie-Josèphe-Rose de Tascher de la Pagerie was born there in June 1763, who later became the wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.
• La Dauphine Estate, Soufriere, Tel. 452-2691, Fax 452-5416. This 80 hectare plantation is located 5 km south of Soufriere. The mansion from 1890 was converted into a guest house along with the nearby Chateau Laffitte.
• La Haut Plantation, Soufriere, Tel. 459-7008, Fax 459-5975. This plantation is only about 2 km north of Soufriere. 5 rooms are rented in the manor house.
• La Pearl & Ruby Estate, Soufriere, Tel. 459-7224. This plantation is fully cultivated, it is 1 km east of the town center. There is a restaurant, The Still, and you can rent some newly built apartments.
• Marquis Estate, Tel. 452-3762, named after the Marquis de Champigny who landed on the island with a small group of soldiers in 1723. The ruins of the sugar factory are still preserved and are a tourist attraction. Today the country is one of the largest banana plantations that still exist on the island.
• Morne Coubaril Estate, directly south of Soufriere, Tel. 453-7620, Fax 453-2897. This was the first large plantation that the French built on the island. It was owned by Philippe Devaux, and it got its name from the many coubaril or carob trees that grew there at the time. They planted cocoa and sugar cane. In 1744 the French built a gun emplacement on Morne Crabier to protect Soufriere Bay, remnants of which have been preserved. Rooms are rented out today. There is a small museum.
• Soufriere Estate, Tel. 459-7565. Today the plantation is only the remainder of what used to be an area of ​​800 hectares, which King Louis XIV transferred from the island of Martinique to the Devaux family in 1713 as thanks for their good service. Between 1740 and 1742 the three Devaux brothers Phillipe, Henri and Guillaume settled on St. Lucia. They divided up the land and planted cotton, tobacco, coffee and cocoa for export. In 1765 a sugar mill and factories for rum production were built. In England they bought a huge water wheel. In 1780 the property was badly damaged by a hurricane. In 1785, Louis XVI. Money to build the Diamond Baths, a year later a large building with about a dozen bathing areas was completed under the direction of Baron de Laborie. In 1836 the then governor Dudley St. Leger Hill tried to renovate the then dilapidated baths, but received no permission from the owner to enter the country at all. Only the current landowner Andre du Boulay began with the gradual restoration. The sugar mill with an original water wheel was built in 1765. A small fee is charged for access to the plantation, bathing is free.
• Still plantation, Soufriere, Tel. 459-7224, Fax 459-7301. This plantation is 160 hectares in size and includes the Ruby Estate and La Perla Estate, both of which are still being worked on. Studios are rented out on the plantation. There is a large restaurant with a pool and a souvenir shop.
• Stonefield Estate, Soufriere, Tel. 459-7037, Fax 459-5550. 15 elegant villas for tourists were built on this 10 hectare plantation. There is a swimming pool and a restaurant.

getting there

• Entry requirements: Reisende aus Großbritannien, USA und Canada brauchen nur einen gültigen Rückreise-Flugschein, alle anderen Reisenden brauchen zusätzlich einen noch mindestens sechs Monate über das Abreisedatum hinaus gültigen Reisepass für Aufenthalte bis zu 28 Tagen. Die Aufenthaltsgenehmigung kann im Lande verlängert werden, wenn der Reisende ausreichende Geldmittel nachweisen kann. Im Flugzeug erhält der Reisende eine internationale Identitätskarte ausgehändigt, die für die Einreisebehörde ausgefüllt werden muss.
• Ausreisebestimmungen: Bei der Ausreise ist eine Flughafensteuer in Höhe von 68 EC $ oder 25 US $ zu zahlen.
• Devisenbestimmungen: Die Ein- und Ausfuhr der Landeswährung sowie von fremden Währungen ist nicht begrenzt.

By plane

Saint Lucia hat zwei Flughäfen, zum einen den Internationalen Flughafen Hevanorra (UVF) im Süden bei Vieux Fort und den kleineren George Charles Airport, auch Vigie genannt, bei der Hauptstadt Castries.

Die deutsche Fluggesellschaft Condor bietet im Winterflugplan einmal pro Woche Direktflüge von Frankfurt am Main nach Saint Lucia Hevanorra an. Ansonsten mit British Airways via London. Diese können auch Online gebucht werden.

By boat

Kreuzfahrtschiffe legen im Hafen von Castries an. Auch wenn man den Reisepass immer dabei haben sollte, weil man ja schließlich in ein fremdes Land einreist, ist die Bordkarte das, was die Polizeibeamten beim Verlassen und Betreten des Schiffes sehen wollen.

Yachties

Einreisende Yachten sollten nicht in Castries Harbour einchecken, sondern in Rodney Bay Marina oder Marigot. Zwar gibt es an der Nordseite des Hafens eine kleine Marina, die Zollbehörden sind in diesem Hafen aber mit der Frachtkontrolle ausreichend beschäftigt. Der Hafen von Castries sollte von Yachten nicht angelaufen werden, wenn der Zollkai belegt ist, andernfalls werden hohe Strafen verhängt.

mobility

Von Vigie fliegen sogenannte Island Hopper auf alle benachbarten Inseln, diese Kleinflugzeuge sind relativ günstig, aber nur vor Ort zu buchen. Fluggesellschaften mit Internetauftritt und Online-booking kosten ein Vielfaches.

The Minibusse bieten eine günstige Transportmöglichkeit in alle abgelegenen Winkel der Insel und dies zu lokalen Preisen. Minibusse, Jitneys, fahren nach Sonnenaufgang von den ländlichen Gebieten nach Castries und am Nachmittag dorthin zurück. Im Abstand von ca. 30 Minuten fahren Busse nach Gros Islet, Linie 1 A; nach Vieux Fort, 2 H und nach Soufriere, Linie 3 D. Im Abstand von ca. 1 Stunde fahren Busse in den Süden der Insel.

Die Fahrt vom internationalen Flughafen Hewanorra im Süden der Insel über Castries ins Ferienzentrum von Rodney Bay dauert ca. 90 Minuten, der Fahrpreis für zwei Personen liegt bei 60 US $; Bustransfer mit SunLink wird für 40 US $ angeboten.

Nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit empfiehlt es sich jedoch ein Taxi zu nehmen.

Rental car

• Achtung Linksverkehr!
• Die Höchstgeschwindigkeit in Ortschaften beträgt 15 Mph / 25 Kmh und außerhalb 30 Mph / 50 Kmh. Reisende die ein Auto mieten wollen, müssen schon bei der Einreise beim Immigration Office, der Einreisebehörde, eine „Visitor´s Driver Licence“ beantragen, einen Führerschein für „Besucher“. Diesen gibt es gegen Vorlage eines Internationalen Führerscheins, er hat eine Gültigkeit von drei Monaten, die Kosten betragen 54 EC $.
• Mietwagen dürfen nur an Personen über 25 Jahre und unter 65 Jahre vermietet werden.
• Das Fahren unter Alkoholeinfluß ist verboten und wird bestraft.
• Parkplätze in Castries sind ein großes Problem. Das Parken in „No Parking“ Zonen, durch gelbe Farbe markiert, wird mit Geldstrafen ab 40 EC $ geahndet. Für abgeschleppte Fahrzeuge muss man 100 EC $ bezahlen.
• Gegenüber vom Markt, neben dem Government Gebäude befindet sich ein neues, mehrgeschossiges Parkhaus, dort gibt es öfter freie Parkplätze.
• Die Parkgebühr am Flugplatz kostet 2 EC $.

language

Offizielle Landessprache ist das Englische. Viele Einwohner sprechen untereinander jedoch Patois,eine Mischung aus französischer, sowie afrikanischer und englischer Grammatik und Vokabular. Ebensoviele sprechen oder verstehen auch Französisch.

Die Sprache ist ein weiterer Aspekt der Kultur St.Lucias, welcher afrikanischen Einfluss aufweist.

Da afrikanische Sprachen mit der Ankunft der Sklaven unterdrückt worden sind, mussten die französischen Plantagenbesitzer dennoch einen Weg finden, sich mit ihren Arbeitern verständigen zu können. Auf diesem Weg fand das Patois (Creole-Kweyol) seinen Ursprung. Erst seit Kürzerem erscheint es auch in geschriebener Form.

to buy

Auf dem "Castries Central Market" sind von lokalen Souvenirs wie handgeflochtene Körbe und Holzschnitzereien bis zu Gewürzen und frischen Früchten zu finden.

Für duty-free shopping ist "Pointe Seraphine" die Nummer Eins auf der Insel. Am nördlichen Ende des Hafens von Castries gelegen, bietet der grösste duty-free Komplex der Insel -und zweitgrösste der Karibik- eine breite Auswahl an Souvenirs, Parfumes, Uhren und Schmuck sowie Elektronik und Beach wear.

"La Place Carenage" bietet schliesslich die zweitgrösste Auswahl an duty-free Artikeln auf der Insel. Ebenso hat es seinen Sitz in der Inselhauptstadt Castries, auf der anderen Seite des Hafens an der Jeremie Street.

In kleinen Fläschchen wird Bananen-Ketchup verkauft, geeignet als Dip zu herzhaften Gerichten. Es ist auch als originelles Mitbringsel geeignet, wobei wie beim Alkohol die Flüssigkeitsregeln für Handgepäck im Flugzeug beachtet werden sollten.

„Caribbean Perfumes“, „Caribelle“ Batik, Puppen aus Stoff, Seidenmalerei

Währung ist der Ostkaribische Dollar EC$, er ist fest an den US-$ gekoppelt. Der Kurs ist offiziell 1 US-$ = 2,67 EC$. Man kann daher auch fast überall mit dem US-$ bezahlen, erhält aber manchmal nur 2,5 EC$ dafür. Der Euro wird auf Grund von Wechselkursschwankungen nicht überall akzeptiert.

kitchen

Die Küche von St. Lucia ist eine sehr interessante Mischung von karibischer und französischer Kochkunst, gut gewürzt aber nicht zu scharf. Metagee ist ein traditionelles Eintopfgericht. Es enthält zu einem Viertel Klippfisch, zu einem Viertel Kochbananen, zu einem Viertel Kürbis und der Rest setzt sich aus Rindfleisch, Gemüse und Gewürzen zusammen.

The Callaloo Suppe der Insel besteht zu gleichen Teilen aus Huhn-, Lamm- und Rindfleisch die mit Kürbis, Kochbananen, Yams und verschiedenen Gewürzen zusammengekocht werden.

Bakes sind Fladenbrote.

Das nationale beer „Pitons Lager Beer“ wird in Vieux Fort gebraut. Der einheimische Rum kommt aus der einzigen Rumdistille der Insel, auf halbem Wege zwischen Castries und Marigot.

nightlife

Das Nachtleben spielt sich vorallem in Rodney Bay from. Dort befinden sich die bekanntesten Clubs und am Wochenende kommen die Leute aus der ganzen Region zusammen, entweder einfach auf einen "Lime" (= gemütliches Zusammentreffen auf ein Bier, aber ohne dabei viel Geld auszugeben für einen Clubbesuch) oder dann wird in einer angesagten Location im karibischen Stil abgetanzt.

Am Freitagabend sollte allerdings keinesfalls das berühmte Street Party (Jump-up) in Gros-Islet verpasst werden. In den Straßen des Fischerdorfes beginnt das Leben in dieser Nacht nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit mit Reggae- und Socarhythmen unter freiem Himmel, und wer für den lecker gegrillten Fisch und das Hühnchen nicht zu spät kommen will, der macht sich besser vor neun Uhr auf den Weg.

Dasselbe gilt übrigens für Anse-la-Raye, wo ebenso am Freitag Abend die Musik durch die Straßen pulsiert und der frische Fisch bereits nach den ersten Tänzen genüsslich verschlungen wird.

accommodation

Wenn es um Preise für Hotelübernachtungen geht, dann zählt die Insel Saint Lucia inzwischen mit zu den teuersten Inseln im Karibikraum. Wer aber keinen Wert auf "Luxus" legt, der findet immer noch einfache und günstige Gästehäuser.

activities

• Brig Unicorn Zweimaster, mit dem Ausflüge in Piratenmanier angeboten werden. Das Schiff diente auch als Filmkulisse in der Fernsehserie "Roots" und in "Fluch der Karibik".

Wanderungen, Naturbeobachtungen

Auf der Insel gibt es eine Reihe von Wanderwegen im zentralen Bergland und im Süden in der Umgebung der Balembouche-Plantage bei Laborie.

An verschiedenen Stellen, im Bergwald, hauptsächlich aber in der Region um Soufriere, gibt es natürlich auch Wasserfälle, im Vergleich zu manchen anderen Karibikinseln sind diese aber meist unspektakulär.

An verschiedenen Stellen kann man Seevögel und Meeresschildkröten beobachten. Nähere Informationen erhält man vor Ort.

Meeresschildkröten kann man am Grand Anse Strand beobachten. Führungen finden im allgemeinen samstags nachts statt. Informationen dazu erhält man im Ort Desbarra bei Jim Sparks, Tel. 452-8100, 452-9951.

Vogelbeobachtungen sind am Bois D’Orange Sumpf bei Gros Islet, im Regenwald bei Soufrier, am Boriel´s Pond See und auf der Insel Frégate möglich. Führungen für drei bis zehn Personen zum Preis von ca. 50 US $ Pro Person werden von der Forstverwaltung durchgeführt.

Wanderwege

• Piton Flore Regenwald Wanderweg - südöstlich von Castries, er beginnt hinter dem Ort Forestiere. Der gut hergerichtete Weg ist die alte Straße aus französischer Zeit. Sie führt rund um den Berg Flore. Der Ort Forestiere ist mit normalen PKW gerade noch erreichbar, ein Allradantrieb wird aber empfohlen. Dort kann man nach Voranmeldung einen Führer erhalten. Der Rundweg dauert etwa 2 Stunden, für den Aufstieg auf den Berg muss man eine weitere Stunde einplanen, von dort hat man freie Sicht von einer Inselseite zur anderen. Der Führer Kostet 10 US $. Piton Flore Rainforest, Tel. 451-8654.
• Morne La Combe Regenwald Wanderung, in der Inselmitte, an der Schnellstraße von Castries nach Vieux Fort. Dieser schöne Wanderweg beginnt direkt an der Hauptstraße. Durch dichten Wald kommt man auf fast ebenem Weg bis zum Fuß des Morne La Combe, dort wird es dann sehr steil und ist nur noch für geübte Wanderer geeignet. Von der Spitze des Berges hat man eine schöne Aussicht über die Roseau und Mabouya Täler. Für den ganzen Weg sollte man eine Wanderzeit von drei Stunden einplanen. Bei der Bar de L’Isle stehen montags bis freitags Führer bereit. Außerhalb dieser Zeiten ist das Tor geschlossen. Der Zutritt kostet 10 US $.
• Anse La Liberté Küstenwanderweg, der zweistündige Wanderweg beginnt kurz hinter dem Ortsausgang von Canaries und ist durch ein Schild gekennzeichnet. Es ist dort heiß und trocken mit wenig Schatten, deswegen braucht man viel Trinkwasser. Der leichte, ebene Weg führt zur Anse La Liberté und auf einem anderen, leicht ansteigenden Weg zurück zur Hauptstraße. Die Wegenutzung kostet 3 US $, Führer stehen bereit.
• Eastern Naturwanderweg, Praslin, Tel. 455-3099. Dieser schöne und einfache Wanderweg beginnt in der Nähe des Fox Grove Inn, dort erhält man auch die Schlüssel für das Tor. Voranmeldungen sind erwünscht. Die Tour ohne Führer kostet 4 US $.
• Morne Le Blanc Wanderweg, nördlich oberhalb des Ortes Laborie. Dorthin gibt es eine gute Fahrstraße. Nach kurzem Weg erreicht man die Spitze des Berges. Von dort kann man bei klarer Sicht bis zur Insel Saint Vincent sehen.
• Morne Gimie Besteigung. Dieses Bergmassiv hat vier jeweils etwa 900 m hohe Gipfel, Morne Gimie, Piton Canaries, Piton Dame Jean und Piton Troumassée. Die Wanderung kann man entweder auf kürzerem Wege in Canaries beginnen, die längere, aber traditionelle Route beginnt in Fond St. Jacques. Es ist aber auch möglich die Wanderung von Millet im Norden oder über Troumassée durchzuführen. Der Weg ist zwischen 11,5 und 13 km lang.

Learn

Work

public holidays

meeting	Name
January 1st	New Years Day	New Year
22. Februar	Independance Day	Independence day
Good Friday		Karfreitag
Easter		Ostern
1st of May	Labour Day	Labor Day
Whit Monday		Whit Monday
1. Freitag im August	Emancipation Day	Tag der Sklavenbefreiung
13. Dezember	National Day	National holiday
25 December	Christmas	1. Weihnachtstag
26. Dezember	Boxing Day	2. Weihnachtstag

security

St. Lucia gilt als einer der sichersten Orte der Karibik.

Dennoch sollten keine Portemonnaies obenauf in offenen Taschen mitgetragen werden oder kein Schmuck oder Handys unachtsam am Strand liegen gelassen werden.Nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit empfiehlt es sich ein Taxi zu nehmen und manche (Vorstadt-)Quartiere nicht mehr zu besuchen, um eventuellen unangenehmeren Begegnungen aus dem Weg zu gehen.

Wer die generellen Sicherheitsvorkehrungen trifft, kann sich also auf einen erholsamen Urlaub ohne die kleinen unerfreulichen Zwischenfälle freuen.

Die Sonne geht so nahe am Äquator sehr schnell unter. Die Dämmerung dauert nur wenige Minuten, dann ist es dunkel und man sollte dann dafür gesorgt haben, dass man orientiert bleibt.

health

In der ganzen Karibik empfiehlt sich Sonnenmilch mit hohem Lichtschutzfaktor und Vernunft beim Sonnenbaden.

climate

Wirbelstürme: Hurricane sind regelmäßig über die Insel gezogen und haben schwere Schäden angerichtet. 1780 verwüstete ein Wirbelsturm die Inseln Barbados, Martinique, St. Vincent und auch St. Lucia, dabei fanden 20.000 Menschen den Tod. Auf St. Lucia zerstörte der Sturm fast alle Häuser. 1817 wurden erneut große Schäden auf der Insel angerichtet. Seit dem Wirbelsturm „Allen“ im Jahre 1980 treten tropische Stürme als Folge des Klimawandels immer häufiger auf.

respect

Trotz der vielen Strände gibt es nirgendwo Umkleidekabinen. Wer sich erst vor Ort umzieht, sollte sich vorher dezente Möglichkeiten dafür überlegen. Sich an einem öffentlichen Strand mit Publikum aus aller Welt nackt auszuziehen, ist nicht angemessen.

Post and Telecommunications

literature

• Saint Lucia - Helen of the West Indies, Guy Ellis, MacMillan, London, Second Edition, Reprint 1991, ISBN 0-333-40895-0
• Saint Lucia, Don Philpott, Landmark Visitors Guide, 5th Edition, 2005, ISBN 1-84306-178-3
• Saint Lucia, deutsch, Evelin Seeliger-Mander, Reise Know How, 4. aktualisierte Auflage, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8317-1469-B

Landkarten

• Saint Lucia, 1 : 50.000, Ordonance Survey, 1991, Serie E703 (DOS 445), ISBN 0-319-25065-2

Bildbände

• ST. LUCIA, Chr. Prager, Chr. Liedtke, Artcolor Verlag, 1991, ISBN 3-89261-055-X
• Saint Lucia - Simply Beautiful, Arif Ali, Hansib Caribbean, 1997, ISBN 976-8163-07-0

Videos

• ST LUCIA, VHS, 45 Minuten, OnTour, Dumont Verlag, 1996, ISBN 3-7701-4113-X

Web links

• www.stlucia.org - Offizielle Homepage von St. Lucia
• www.choiseulstlucia Webseite von Choiseul